WNBC [New York]
January 6, 2007
http://www.wnbc.com/news/10681296/detail.html
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Edward Cardinal Egan On News Forum |
NEW YORK -- Interview: Edward Cardinal Egan
DAVID USHERY, host:
Two weeks ago, Edward Cardinal Egan celebrated midnight Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Was it his last? As shepherd of the estimated two and a half million Catholics in the New York Archdiocese. The cardinal turned 75 in April and is required to submit his resignation to the pope, who can either accept or reject it. Does the cardinal want to stay? And will a scathing letter attributed to an anonymous priest have an impact? In a rare sit-down interview, we will ask Cardinal Egan about retirement, controversy, and a spiritual message for 2007. Next, on a special edition of NEWS FORUM.
Announcer: From News Channel 4 HD, this is NEWS FORUM.
USHERY: And welcome to this special edition of NEWS FORUM. I'm David Ushery. And we welcome his eminence, Edward Cardinal Egan.
Nice to see you, sir.
EDWARD Cardinal EGAN: Nice to see you, David. Thank you much.
USHERY: We're beginning the new year, of course, and when you return to the pulpit after your knee replacement surgery--which how are you doing, by the way? How is your recovery?
Cardinal EGAN: Doing wonderfully.
USHERY: Yeah.
Cardinal EGAN: I'm thinking of doing a little dancing for you during the show to show you how well I'm doing.
USHERY: Right.
Cardinal EGAN: But the knee is fine.
USHERY: Oh, good. When you returned, you talked to everyone about how we all face challenges and ups and downs. And I thought as we talked, beginning this new year, how you reflect on 2006, some of the highs and lows you felt for the archdiocese and for you.
Cardinal EGAN: Well, the highs are tremendous. We are now the largest private school system in America. Not only Catholic school systems, the largest private school system. And because of a wonderful support that we've had, especially with the cardinal scholarships, our inner-city enrollment is going up. And, David, come someday. Bring your camera and take a look at our schools. In the three boroughs, 23 of our 116 inner-city schools are high schools. Ninety-five percent of our youngsters graduate in four years, and, David, 98 percent go on to college. What a story that would be! I would see NBC doing a five-hour special on that. That would be marvelous, you know?
And then Catholic Charities is, I believe, something that needs to be talked about more here in New York. Years ago Mayor Giuliani said that he couldn't run the city without Catholic Charities. We feed, we clothe, we house, we take care of children, we take care of mothers. And this story really needs to be told, (coughs) excuse me, and agency after agency. And then in the communications area, Dave, I hope you know that we have now a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week Catholic channel on Sirius Satellite Radio. And I appear on it for an hour each week. It's run twice. And then I have my Mass on Friday and my Mass on Sunday at St. Patrick's when I'm there. But it's given me a chance to speak to our people, and I think it's been a wonderful two months now with the Sirius Satellite Radio. And I hope that you have a chance to look at it. It's channel 159, the Catholic channel.
USHERY: Yeah, we've heard about that. I want to talk to you more about that, but I want to go back to the schools for a second because we heard a lot about the archdiocese going through this process of realignment and figuring out which schools, perhaps, may have to close, and some feel it may have been a mandate for you when you were brought here because of the archdiocese perhaps running at a budget deficit for so many years. Where do things stand with that?
Cardinal EGAN: Very well--they stand very, very well. Financially, we're in good shape. And while it's a tremendous demand upon our resources to continue the schools, especially in the inner-city areas, I do not think there's a greater charity in this country. You know and I know what the situation is in our schools here in New York. We have 116 schools in the three boroughs of this city that we serve. Sixty-five percent at minimum the youngsters live under the poverty line, Dave. In many schools, it's 85 percent. Nonetheless, in four years they have diplomas and they go on, 98 percent, to college. Imagine if that were the story for all of New York! What a different city this would be. And so it's a great struggle, and I have to tell you, I'm out asking for support all the time. But we've had some wonderful support, and I have closed schools only too merge them, in order to strengthen two schools that are nearby. Now, can we continue that? Well, I hope we can. We're going to be 200 years old in the year 2008, in April. And from April of 2007 to April of 2008, we're going to be celebrating this. And during that time, I'm going to be asking for a lot of support, also, for the archdiocese. Because I don't think there's a treasure here in the city of New York more valuable than a system of schools that can send on 98 percent of its graduates to college.
USHERY: Your Eminence, when can we hear more details on realignment and do you do--can you say that you won't close any more schools after that?
Cardinal EGAN: First of all, realignment is a process. We will be announcing what we've decided up to now this month, in January. But everything that we're going to be opening or closing we pretty much announced. And don't forget that we're opening many, many things. We're looking to 11 new parishes, right? Now, they will either be parishes that will be cut off from other parishes or whatever. So as our people move north, we have to take care of them as well. In your opening, someone mentioned in the introduction that we are perhaps two and a half million Catholics. I think with the immigration that we've all seen, we're very much more than that. And our churches are packed. I cannot believe how attendance has grown these last several years. And so it can be seen when you put two schools together that that's a closing of a school. But we like to give the statistics about, when we do that, how the enrollment goes up in the one school that remains. Because you have better services from a standpoint of science and the arts and so forth. So we're growing in numbers. We might be reducing the number of school buildings, but we're growing in numbers.
USHERY: So we can expect sometime this month the kind of word on realignment, but for the most part, that's already been in the public realm, is what you're saying.
Cardinal EGAN: Exactly.
USHERY: Is what you're saying.
Cardinal EGAN: Exactly. And what we did is we spent three years on this. And what we wanted to be sure, Dave, that everyone had a chance to say what shes or he wanted to say. So--and anytime there was a feeling that we were making a mistake, we sat down with the parish council or the clergy, whoever was interested in it, and talked the thing out.
USHERY: And did that force any changes? Or did you change your mind on anything?
Cardinal EGAN: Oh sure, oh sure. Oh, yes. In fact, in the press release that we'll be putting out, we'll say precisely that, which ones we changed as a result of the conversations.
USHERY: OK. OK. Again, in the reflection, lows for 2006?
Cardinal EGAN: The lows, I would say would be for me, I wish that our vocations were growing faster. We're doing well in comparison with others, but our need is tremendous and I'm very happy this is the first year class of theology, the finally four years, is big. I'm happy that the numbers going into pretheology is also growing, but I would just beg families and young men to think about handing their lives over to the Lord and the church and joining us in our seminary. We have a wonderful, wonderful seminary system. We need priests, and I would say the lowest of the low of the year was that I didn't have more to ordain. I think we had one of the largest classes in the country, but still, nowhere near what we need. Another
low, I'm sure, is one that you want to mention, that was mentioned in the introduction. Somebody, maybe a layman, wrote an anonymous letter and put it on a blog in Philadelphia. And the news media in New York obsessed on it for a week. And they even bring it up again in Newsweek a month later and so forth. I regret that it was treated that way. I don't think that that kind of thing would've been treated that way for any other institution. Maybe I'm wrong. But even that's behind us. The priests were wonderful, as you know. They immediately came in, the Priests Council, which is an elected council and supported me completely. And I'm very, very happy that we can now put this behind us. An anonymous letter on a blog in Philadelphia and we obsess on it, it's not good.
USHERY: You responded in Catholic New York, and it was seen as an intense response. And you also felt that the priests who had gone through this process thought it might have been attributed to a priest who might have been accused of or charged with sexual abuse. They--they're somewhat shielded, the archdiocese can respond, and you said you were going to institute a new policy on that. Are you...
Cardinal EGAN: Anybody that feels that he's been unjustly treated, come forward, make your case before three vicars and three members of the Priests Council, and then we'll tell the story as we know it. And no one has come forward. There's been no injustice of any kind.
USHERY: All right, Cardinal. Well, we have to take a break. When we come back, we'll talk about other issues. There's also a little follow-up on this and the cardinal's relationship with the media, and also, retirement, that word that we keep hearing. Stay with us.
(Announcements)
USHERY: And we're back now with the Archbishop of New York, Edward Cardinal Egan.
Cardinal, I think you've addressed that letter, but I want to talk about broader issues in terms of relationships with the priests in the archdiocese. How would you characterize them?
Cardinal EGAN: I think they're very good. I'm delighted with the relationship with the priests, and I think that the way they reacted to the letter that everybody wants to talk about is a very good indication of how good they are. In any organization as big as the Archdiocese of New York, there're going to be people who are disappointed about appointments or disappointed about whatever, and so there's going to be a certain amount of unhappiness. I suspect that even in NBC, now maybe I'm wrong, there might be one or another member of the staff that isn't thoroughly delighted with everything that's happened. And I know that shouldn't happen in a wonderful organization like NBC.
USHERY: Right, right.
Cardinal EGAN: But if it does happen in NBC, I think NBC could understand that it might happen somewhere else, too. But I think the relationships are very good.
USHERY: Do you think that perhaps, unfairly or fairly, you kind of confront the same thing that Pope Benedict did coming on the heels of John Paul II? That is to say, Cardinal Aponte, your predecessor, was kind of out there, visible, media, not always successful with the media, but out there. You have a different style, and that you're kind of paying the price for that or even punished for that in a way. Do you think that happens to some extent?
Cardinal EGAN: I haven't felt I've been punished for it, no. I have my view on how to deal with telling our story to the people. I try to be in the parishes and the schools and the charitable institutions. And I belive that I would deal directly with our people. Pick up Catholic New York. I think Catholic New York somewhere around 120,000 circulation. I have an article that's overlong in this current issue that's about a page and a half. I'm in there regularly. I'm now, not now, I've always been on Friday. Every Friday I preach at St. Patrick's Cathedral on television, and I think it appears on five different times during the day. I'm at St. Patrick's Cathedral two Sundays a month and that's televised all over. I believe that I get my story out and especially I get it out now because I have a one hour show on the Catholic channel of Sirius Satellite Radio.
USHERY: Right, right, right.
Cardinal EGAN: It's played twice. Once live, I guess you say, and the other one, it's recorded. And it gives me a chance to touch various issues, and I do exactly that.
USHERY: Which some...
Cardinal EGAN: So I really feel that we've done it the right way.
USHERY: Which some say, though, that's preaching to the converted that the Archdiocese of New York. That pulpit is so mighty and traditionally it's seen to speak out on so many issues, whether it be immigration, whether it be gay marriage, whether it be some of these other issues. Almost, some--some archbishops say there's a voice in the wilderness to kind of set that tone for the dialog on many issues. And do you ever see there are missed opportunities there or no? Or do you...
Cardinal EGAN: No, I don't. I feel we've handled it the right way. I believe that I should deal with those whom I'm called to serve, which is the people of God of the Archdiocese of New York. And I'm delighted if others listen in. At Christmastime, I do two interviews such as this.
USHERY: Yes.
Cardinal EGAN: And I do it again at Easter time, but I'm not looking to involve myself in any political issues that are not moral issues, basically. For instance, I think that you can consider the abortion issue a political issue, but it's basically an issue of right and wrong. And I've certainly spoken on that very clearly. Immigration, too, I think I've spoken pretty clearly on that. And so I believe we've handled it correctly. And I know that, you know, the news media might want more of this, but we're doing well, and this is the way I think it ought to be done.
USHERY: So, with that being said, would you weigh into national politics in the choice of the national leader, the president, for example? We're going to have maybe some viable candidates here in New York that you know well, are familiar with--Hillary Clinton, Rudy Giuliani. How would you come down on that if you had to?
Cardinal EGAN: They're all friends of mine.
USHERY: Yeah.
Cardinal EGAN: And Governor Pataki's a friend of mine, Mayor Giuliani's a friend of mine, Senator Clinton is a friend of mine and whomever else you want to name. And I've been very, very careful, I hope you notice. Never have I got into partisan politics of any kind at all. You know, I told you that we're going to be 200 years old.
USHERY: Right. And you're going to be preaching about that later today at the cathedral, and on Sunday.
Cardinal EGAN: Exactly. But if you go back to the first bishop we had, Bishop Carroll...
USHERY: Mm-hmm.
Cardinal EGAN: ...was the only bishop we had back in the 1800s, the early 1800s. He made it very clear that once he got himself into a political situation and years later he said how he regretted doing that, that his job was to preach the gospel, to celebrate the liturgy and to do the works of charity and justice. And I belive that John Carroll got it right. And so, no, don't ever expect me to be involved in partisan politics. I think I'm a good friend of all three of these people, whom you've mentioned or whom I've mentioned. And I wish them all the best, and they've been very good to us. And I will vote, I assure you, right here in the New York, and that will be one vote. I won't ask you to vote the way I think you ought to vote.
USHERY: Cardinal, let's talk about retirement because for those who are, perhaps, not well versed in the church law, it's required that you submit a letter when you turn 75. And April 2nd, I believe, you will turn 75.
Cardinal EGAN: That's right.
USHERY: What are your thoughts on that? Traditionally in New York, the pope has not accepted that letter. Archbishops have gone on. What do you think will happen? What do you want to happen?
Cardinal EGAN: Well, first of all, I have no idea. And I am always asked this because every bishop's asked this when he gets to be 75, but I know...
USHERY: Did the pope solicit your input? Or no? Did he say...
Cardinal EGAN: No, no. You send in--it's a formal letter.
USHERY: Oh, OK.
Cardinal EGAN: You can almost say a form letter. And then he's free to do with it as he pleases. And I have no inside information. On Sunday we have this Mass in which we announce that we're going to have this bicentennial, and then I'm getting on a plane and flying to Rome for meetings and I'll be with the Holy Father. And one of the things I will not bring up is that I'll be 75 in April. Now, if he wants to bring it up, it's great. And whatever he decides, that's fine.
USHERY: Would you want to stay? I know you're starting this bicentennial celebration, or would you...
Cardinal EGAN: I think the best thing for me to say is I want to do whatever Benedict XVI wants me to do. Let me tell you something, Dave, I was ordained almost 50 years ago. I was ordained in Rome in December of 1957. And on that occasion, I made a commitment at the request of the rector of the seminary, who ordained me, Martin J. O'Connor, another O'Connor. I've had a lot of O'Connors in my life.
USHERY: Yes, sir, there are.
Cardinal EGAN: And he said before we went into the ordination, something he used to say over and over, and we used to all imitate him. I won't imitate him. He's gone to the Lord. But he used to say, 'Seek no appointment. Refuse no appointment. You're in the hands of God.' And I've never forgotten that. I have never sought anything. Now, I know that some of these books that write--some of these fellows that invent stories and so forth, I have never sought anything. And I have never turned anything down. I simply do what I'm told. And I'll tell you, it makes you very easy on somebody like me who is totally committed to service in the church. It would be different if I had a family that I was supporting, and I was looking to become the president of NBC and then the chairman of GE or something like that.
USHERY: Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Cardinal EGAN: You know, but I'm not. I'm here at the disposition of the church.
USHERY: In many ways, though, it was felt that perhaps one of your challenges was to come in and make the archdiocese fiscally sound and you've said that financially you're in good shape. If that mission is accomplished, could it be another mission? Could you--you spent a lot of years in Rome. Could the pope want your services in Rome?
Cardinal EGAN: No.
USHERY: And would you embrace that?
Cardinal EGAN: There's so much emphasis put on the fact that we had financial problems and that we resolved them. That's a small part of what needed to be done and what is being done, eh? That's well taken care of. Within two years, we have a balanced budget. We've never had anything but a surplus ever since, and we're going to do fine. But, please don't say that as--that is something that you were sent to do. Sure, it's part of what I was sent to do. And I like to think that I was sent to do, first and foremost, leading people in prayer, preaching the gospel, and doing the works of charity. That's what I'd like to think I was sent to do. The other, if it was successful, I'm delighted and it's successful because of the tremendous generosity and goodness of the people of God and the archdiocese and the great staff that I have at the Catholic Center. You know, one nice thing about becoming a cardinal is--if they offer it to you, take it, Dave...
USHERY: Yeah.
Cardinal EGAN: ...you take the vows for all good works of other people, you know?
USHERY: Right. I won't come up for that, Your Eminence.
We'll be right back with some final thoughts and a spiritual message from Cardinal Egan. Stay with us.
(Announcements)
USHERY: Back now with Edward Cardinal Egan. Your Eminence, we'd like to get a spiritual message for 2007 and particularly in the fact that we are still a nation at war.
Cardinal EGAN: Well, as I mentioned to you, I think that is an issue that we really all have to focus on right now. This is a tragedy what's happened, and no war is going to solve any problems. And I believe that it's time that we start praying about this. I think it's time that we begin to say to the world that we're anxious to discuss how to put an end to the controversies that are growing all over this world, not just in the Middle East, but even in parts of southern Europe and Afghanistan. Go out to Korea and so forth. We have to be a nation which is known as a pursuer of peace. We just had the feast of the Prince of Peace at Christmas. And a large majority of the people of this nation are Christian, dedicated to the message of the Prince of Peace. And I believe that prayer does a lot more than many people think in this day and age right now. And I would love to see our people praying every day to put an end to all war and to make us a nation known throughout the world as a pursuer of peace.
USHERY: Does it concern you we're sending more troops, it appears?
Cardinal EGAN: It concerns me greatly. You know, you're very hesitant to speak about the war for fear it sounds as though you're not supporting the women and men over there that are in harm's way. I don't know if you know, Dave, but everyone that has been killed over there in the armed forces in the Archdiocese of New York, I've done the funeral. And you never hear that on television, do you? Isn't that strange.
USHERY: Yeah.
Cardinal EGAN: But I go to every one of those funerals no matter where it is. And I--if I--when I say I do the funeral, I preside and I do what we call the Final Commendation and speak.
USHERY: Right, right.
Cardinal EGAN: And a lot of it has been in Spanish.
USHERY: Mm-hmm.
Cardinal EGAN: I think we have to keep in mind who's fighting this war. And I feel that my commitment to the men and women in the armed forces has no limit. I pray for them every day. In fact, if you listen on my Mass, I always start out with a prayer for peace in the introduction, and I mention the armed forces.
USHERY: And should people pray that we send in more troops? Or what do you think?
Cardinal EGAN: I'm not clever enough to know whether or not this is a proper military approach. My gut feeling is that this is not the way to go. Now, I'm one American citizen who knows nothing more than what he reads in the newspaper and hears on radio and sees on television. So what kind of a decision can I make? We elect people to make these decisions, but if you want to know my gut feeling--may I use that expression on NBC?
USHERY: Absolutely.
Cardinal EGAN: It would be to seek to put an end to every conflict in which we are involved.
USHERY: All right. Your Eminence, Edward Cardinal Egan, and we thank you for spending time with us, upholding a tradition.
And we thank you for joining us. Have a good day.
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